Positron Nano-Dosimetry: Fundamental Measurements of Positron Interactions and their use in State-of-the-Art Modelling of Positron Transport. This proposal will provide unique experimental and theoretical information on how positrons, the electron antiparticles, interact with matter, in particular with biologically important molecules. This data will be used in a unique set of modelling approaches which will provide, for the first time, an insight into how positrons are transported through gases ....Positron Nano-Dosimetry: Fundamental Measurements of Positron Interactions and their use in State-of-the-Art Modelling of Positron Transport. This proposal will provide unique experimental and theoretical information on how positrons, the electron antiparticles, interact with matter, in particular with biologically important molecules. This data will be used in a unique set of modelling approaches which will provide, for the first time, an insight into how positrons are transported through gases, liquids and ultimately, soft matter. It will thus have important ramifications for diagnostic tools such as Positron Emission Tomography. The fundamental research will also shed light on one of the key 'mysteries' of life - why the biological building blocks of life possess a definite " handedness", or chirality.Read moreRead less
Non-equilibrium presolvation electron processes at the gas-liquid interface. The interaction of low-temperature plasma electrons with liquids has served as a reducing agent in various technological applications in water treatment, agriculture, biofuels and medicine. Predictive control of the plasma-liquid interface is essential to unlocking the potential of these applications, and this has been limited by the absence of the relevant non-equilibrium transport theory describing electrons at the pl ....Non-equilibrium presolvation electron processes at the gas-liquid interface. The interaction of low-temperature plasma electrons with liquids has served as a reducing agent in various technological applications in water treatment, agriculture, biofuels and medicine. Predictive control of the plasma-liquid interface is essential to unlocking the potential of these applications, and this has been limited by the absence of the relevant non-equilibrium transport theory describing electrons at the plasma-liquid interface together with fundamental data describing electron interactions with liquids. The project will develop a state of the art presolvation electron transport model informed by world first measurements of electron cross-sections for radicals and liquids and apply it to model plasma electrochemistry processes.Read moreRead less
Electron scattering and transport for plasma-liquid interactions. The project aims to address the emerging technologies associated with the interaction of plasmas with liquids and biological matter, including plasma medicine. The project expects to generate new knowledge on the role of electron-induced processes through the development of complete and accurate sets of microscopic cross-sections for electrons with biomolecules within tissue. This microscopic data will inform new microscopic model ....Electron scattering and transport for plasma-liquid interactions. The project aims to address the emerging technologies associated with the interaction of plasmas with liquids and biological matter, including plasma medicine. The project expects to generate new knowledge on the role of electron-induced processes through the development of complete and accurate sets of microscopic cross-sections for electrons with biomolecules within tissue. This microscopic data will inform new microscopic models for non-equilibrium electron transport in liquids and biological matter, and its coupling to plasmas. The expected outcomes of this project include progress towards the optimisation of safety/efficacy of future generation plasma medicine devices through detailed understanding of plasma-biological tissue interactions.Read moreRead less
Positrons in biosystems. This project aims to improve our understanding of the damage processes in Positron Emission Tomography (PET). PET is a widely used medical imaging technique, but there are gaps in our understanding of the underlying interactions, in particular in the case of the radiation damage induced during the process. By using new models incorporating accurate descriptions of interactions processes, verified by experimental measurement, this project will develop a new model of posit ....Positrons in biosystems. This project aims to improve our understanding of the damage processes in Positron Emission Tomography (PET). PET is a widely used medical imaging technique, but there are gaps in our understanding of the underlying interactions, in particular in the case of the radiation damage induced during the process. By using new models incorporating accurate descriptions of interactions processes, verified by experimental measurement, this project will develop a new model of positron transport in PET. The project will allow validation of predictions from the model by undertaking experiments in liquid water.Read moreRead less
Novel source of excited metastable atoms for Atom Trap Trace Analysis. This project aims to understand and to control light-induced processes in atoms by using finely shaped and tailored laser pulses, focusing on efficient production of excited metastable atoms. This is critical for efficient Atom Trap Trace Analysis, the most advanced technique for dating ground water and geological samples. Expected outcomes of this project include new and enhanced knowledge of physics of light-matter interact ....Novel source of excited metastable atoms for Atom Trap Trace Analysis. This project aims to understand and to control light-induced processes in atoms by using finely shaped and tailored laser pulses, focusing on efficient production of excited metastable atoms. This is critical for efficient Atom Trap Trace Analysis, the most advanced technique for dating ground water and geological samples. Expected outcomes of this project include new and enhanced knowledge of physics of light-matter interactions, developing an efficient, clean source of excited metastable atoms, and integrating that source into the Australian National Facility for dating geological samples. This should provide significant benefits, such as significant improvement of operational efficiency and productivity of that facility.Read moreRead less
The origin of the first Australians. Using new DNA methods researchers aim to uncover the origins of the first Australians and to provide new evidence for when people came here and where they came from. This exciting work aims to determine some of the physical and metabolic characteristics of these early people.
A Novel Geometric Approach to Shocks in Reaction-Nonlinear Diffusion Models. Reaction-nonlinear diffusion models play a vital role in the study of cell migration and population dynamics. However, the presence of aggregation, or backward diffusion, leads to the formation of shock waves - distinct, sharp interfaces between different populations of densities of cells - and the breakdown of the model. This project will develop new geometric methods to explain the formation and temporal evolution of ....A Novel Geometric Approach to Shocks in Reaction-Nonlinear Diffusion Models. Reaction-nonlinear diffusion models play a vital role in the study of cell migration and population dynamics. However, the presence of aggregation, or backward diffusion, leads to the formation of shock waves - distinct, sharp interfaces between different populations of densities of cells - and the breakdown of the model. This project will develop new geometric methods to explain the formation and temporal evolution of these shock waves, while simultaneously unifying existing regularisation techniques under a single, geometric banner. It will devise innovative tools in singular perturbation theory and stability analysis that will identify key parameters in the creation of shock waves, as well as their dynamic behaviour.Read moreRead less
Understanding the mechanism of two important cytochrome P450 catalysed reactions: dehydrogenation and C-C cleavage. Cytochromes P450 are enzymes that play key roles in drug metabolism and biosynthesis. P450s often catalyse hydroxylation but also carry out important transformations such as dehydrogenation or carbon-carbon bond cleavage. Such reactions are pivotal in many biological pathways. This work will elucidate the mechanism of these transformations and the factors that facilitate their occu ....Understanding the mechanism of two important cytochrome P450 catalysed reactions: dehydrogenation and C-C cleavage. Cytochromes P450 are enzymes that play key roles in drug metabolism and biosynthesis. P450s often catalyse hydroxylation but also carry out important transformations such as dehydrogenation or carbon-carbon bond cleavage. Such reactions are pivotal in many biological pathways. This work will elucidate the mechanism of these transformations and the factors that facilitate their occurrence. This will mainly entail the synthesis of small organic mechanistic probes and determining the structure and stereochemistry of the product of enzymic oxidation. Understanding these mechanisms will allow us to predict when such reactions will occur, enabling their utilisation in for example drug design in the avoidance of the formation of toxic metabolites.Read moreRead less
Unravelling the principles of bilateral brain wiring. This project seeks to investigate the molecular principles of brain wiring in mammals and how small changes can generate complex outcomes. Neurons in the mammalian brain must be precisely wired together for the brain to function correctly. The project aims to identify the molecular and cellular rules governing commissural wiring in the mammalian cortex to determine how the largest fibre tract in the human brain, the corpus callosum, evolved. ....Unravelling the principles of bilateral brain wiring. This project seeks to investigate the molecular principles of brain wiring in mammals and how small changes can generate complex outcomes. Neurons in the mammalian brain must be precisely wired together for the brain to function correctly. The project aims to identify the molecular and cellular rules governing commissural wiring in the mammalian cortex to determine how the largest fibre tract in the human brain, the corpus callosum, evolved. This may have involved modifications in mechanisms affecting axon guidance that differ between placentals and marsupials. The project investigates the regulatory gene networks determining commissural neuron fate, the regulation of axon guidance components, and the influence of surrounding brain tissue on the development of commissural connections.Read moreRead less
Investigation of recognition memory in behavioural, electrophysiological, and functional neuro-imaging domains using state-trace analysis. This project utilises a novel methodology to investigate human recognition memory across three separate domains - behavioural, electrophysiological and functional neuro-imaging. The aim is to determine how these three aspects of memory are related and if they can be united by a single theory.